Update: Two weeks until "The Jeff Long Spectacular"

Gentlemen - We are prepped for a raucous reunion. Here are the vitals:

Rooftop Cubs Game Guest List (15)
Jeff Long, Drew Patrick, Dan Dreyer, Doug Colling, Matt Baker, Wayne Beutler, John Bennink, Ryan Kaul, Tim Wasilk, Jeff Cumberworth, Dane Fife, Brad Clapper, Steve Bradford, Erich Poley, Ryan Leach

SpringHill Suites Hotel (5)
Jeff Long, Drew Patrick, Dan Dreyer, Doug Colling, Erik Vernon

Other Hotel or Housing (12)
Matt Baker, Wayne Beutler, John Bennink, Ryan Kaul, Tim Wasilk, Jeff Kosin, Jeff Cumberworth, Dane Fife, Brad Clapper, Steve Bradford, Erich Poley, Ryan Leach

Some 'Possible Attendees' Still on the List (5)
Steve Branch, Dan Deegan, Steve Gordon, Luke Denver, Jared Merchant

Friday Night Dinner - Reservations at 9pm, June 12th
Tango Sur, 3763 North Southport Avenue. 20 minutes north of SpringHill Suites on the Red Line.
It's BYOB. That includes beer, wine, liquor, whatever. No corkage fee. Buy it cheap and bring it with you. It's Argentinian. They serve steaks.

Cubs Game Rooftop - Doors open at 11am, June 13th

Lakeview Baseball Club, 3633 North Sheffield Avenue. 1 block from Red Line Addison Stop.
Includes food and beverages. Adults only. Smoking allowed. Country club / business casual dress code.

Saturday Drinks - Approximately 9pm, June 13th
Starting location TBD shortly

Let me know if any of the info is incorrect!
--
MOB

Re: Jeff Long Bachelor Party - Cubs Game Event

Gentlemen - The Cubs game is 5 weeks from today. The squad is a couple games above .500 for now. If you have a suggestion for what the bachelor should wear to the game, let me know. I was thinking drag but that's a little too obvious. Maybe one of those rubber cock necklaces but that could be a little too vulgar. I dunno. I'll think about it some more.

On Sat, Apr 4, 2009 at 2:33 PM, matt baker <matt@mattanddanielle.org> wrote:

Gentlemen - I made the purchase this week. We are presently 13 deep for the rooftop event.  Glory in the highest!

On Tue, Mar 31, 2009 at 1:54 PM, matt baker <matt@mattanddanielle.org> wrote:

Gents - Thank you for your prompt participation and conviction. We've reached critical mass and I'm working with the rooftop company to purchase our spots this week. I will let you know when it's finalized. If you haven't responded yet, it's not too late to buy-in for the rooftop event. As always, let me know if you have questions.

Until then,
Matt

On Sat, Mar 21, 2009 at 8:39 PM, matt baker <matt@mattanddanielle.org> wrote:

REMINDER: Purchase your ticket for the Lakeview Baseball Club. Here's how: Visit http://cubsgamerooftop.mattanddanielle.org/ and click the Buy Now button. The initial deadline is March 28th - which should allow us to secure our spot for the June 13th Cubs game. The price is $170 per person.

 

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

Thanks,

 

Matt Baker
Best Man, Cousin, American

--
Sent from: San Francisco CA United States.

--
MOB

--
MOB

--
MOB
Sent from San Francisco, California, United States

Jeff Long Bachelor Party - Cubs Game Event

REMINDER: Purchase your ticket for the Lakeview Baseball Club. Here's how: Visit http://cubsgamerooftop.mattanddanielle.org/ and click the Buy Now button. The initial deadline is March 28th - which should allow us to secure our spot for the June 13th Cubs game. The price is $170 per person.

 

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

Thanks,

 

Matt Baker
Best Man, Cousin, American

--
Sent from: San Francisco CA United States.

Re: Jeff Long Bachelor Party June 12-14

Gents,

The bachelor has spoken. The main event features the Chicago Cubs on June 13th from the rooftop of the Lakeview Baseball Club. The club offers a remarkable view of the action on Wrigley Field alongside an ample amount of burgers, sandwiches, and libations. The club requires a payment in full in advance of the event. For that matter, I've set up a convenient system.

1. Visit this website I created: http://cubsgamerooftop.mattanddanielle.org/

2. Review the details (food,beverages,rules,etc) and the price ($170 per person) of the rooftop event.

3. Click the 'Buy Now' button to proceed.

4. If you already have a Google Account (which is free) you can enter your credit card info and proceed. If you don't yet have a Google Account, you can create one on that page with your current email address and your credit card info.

5. Purchase the rooftop package.

Here's how it works: You pay Google Checkout. Google pays me. I pay Lakeview Baseball Club. This makes it quick, easy, safe, and let's us guarantee the correct number of pre-paid guests. I'll plan on making the purchase with Lakeview Baseball Club on March 28th. This gives us 2 weeks to make the purchase. If you purchase the package now and notify me before March 28th that you need to cancel, I will certainly refund your money. 

Let me know if you have any questions or comments. Here's the info from the website (expect for the 'Buy Now' button) in case you have any trouble loading the page:

Lakeview Baseball Club
3633 North Sheffield Avenue Chicago, IL 60613
(Within 1 block of Red Line Addison Stop) 

$35 - Use of Facility
$35 - Food & Beverages 
$40 - Property Management Fee
$40 - Gratuity
$10 - Illinois State & Chicago City Tax
$10 - Portion of the Bachelor's Ticket 
$170 - TOTAL

Food and Beverages:

• Beers, wine, and non-alcoholic drinks
  
• Chips & Salsa, Garlic Foccacia, Salad, Fruit
• Cheeseburger, Hotdog, BBQ Chicken Sandwich,Bratwurst
• Assorted cookies and brownies 
  

Club Rules:

• Adults only
• 200 person capacity
• Smoking allowed
• Can't bring your own food or beverages
• Doors open 1 hr. game & close 1 hr. after game ends
• Country club / business casual dress code

Customer Quotes from Yelp.com:

• "view is fantastic"
• "plenty of mingling room"
• "really nice and clean bar"
• "great time and worth the cost" 

Matt Baker
Best Man, Cousin, American

On Thu, Mar 12, 2009 at 8:31 PM, matt baker <matt@mattanddanielle.org> wrote:

Noblemen,

I write in haste to announce a decisive victory. I've reserved a location for our festive Friday night dinner, June 12th, at 9PM. The place is called Tango Sur and it's at 3763 North Southport Avenue. It's 20 minutes north from the hotel on the Red Line.

Here's why Tango Sur is our hand-picked choice of inception:

1. It's BYOB. That includes beer, wine, liquor, whatever. No corkage fee. Buy it cheap and bring it with you.
2. It's Argentinian.
3. They serve steaks.

Also, I should note that I spent some time with the bachelor a couple weeks ago. He's in a terrible state. I admit that. He's not doubled over in pain and bursting forth with predicaments, but he's possibly worse off. He's four months from walking the plank and he's transfixed by friend requests on Facebook. He's in total denial that his manhood is in peril. We may commence the bachelor party and the Tango Sur dinner with an intervention. Something along the lines of 'You do know what you're doing, don't you?' It's as if he's never spoken to a married man in his life.

Matt Baker
Best Man, Cousin, American

On Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 12:22 PM, matt baker <matt@mattanddanielle.org> wrote:

Men,

I haven't written you in a month, but I assure you I've been toiling over mountains of minutiae. I've broken down the weekend into 4 primary items: Hotel, Friday Night Dinner, Cubs Game, and Saturday Night Festivities. In today's installment, I have an update on the hotel.

I've reserved 4 rooms for June 12th and 13th at the SpringHill Suites Marriott Chicago Downtown/River North. The address is 410 North Dearborn Street. Each room can sleep up to 5 people (two double beds plus a sofabed) at a rate of ~$250 per night including taxes. Here's the cost breakdown per person depending on how many people we have in each room:

5 people in one room for 2 nights = $100 total per person including taxes
4 people in one room for 2 nights = $125 total per person including taxes
3 people in one room for 2 nights = $167 total per person including taxes

At the moment, I have the following 11 people in need of a hotel:
Jeff Long, Matt Baker, Wayne Beutler, Drew Patrick, Jeff Cumberworth, Doug Colling, John Bennink, Ryan Leach, Eric Vernon, Dan Dreyer, Ryan Kaul

Here's the list of folks who DO NOT need a hotel:
Steve Bradford, Dane Fife, Brad Clapper, Erich Poley

And, as a matter of diligence, there are 6 people who I haven't heard from yet and 3 people who aren't able to commit at this point but would like to remain on the email list. Thus, our hotel needs may range from 11 to 19 and general attendance may range from 15 to 24.

If we end up with 12 people for the hotel, we'll probably do 3 rooms with 4 people in each. Likewise, if we get a clean 15, we'll do 3 rooms with 5 in each. However, should we end up with a prime number or some scenario to that effect, I can weigh lowest average cost and take volunteers for a 3 person room.

Once I get a tighter lock on the guest list, I'll have update on Friday night's dinner, Cubs Game, and Saturday Night Festivities.

Here's what I ask from you:

1) If you haven't responded yet, please reply as soon as you can with your intent.
2) If you're on the hotel list but will not need a hotel, please reply to let me know I've been misinformed.

More details regarding the bachelor's deteriorating emotional state shortly.

Matt Baker
Best Man, Cousin, American

On Sun, Feb 8, 2009 at 3:36 PM, matt baker <matt@mattanddanielle.org> wrote:

Gents,

It's been a fortnight since I last wrote to you. Thank you for your replies and enthusiasm. I'm heartened by your candor. The reckoning is coming together nicely. Of note, and of particular importance to the event, I must tell you that I booked my flight from San Francisco to Chicago today. Unfortunately, I've a layover in Phoenix but I shall persevere nonetheless.

If you have not responded yet (we shall not name the lame at this juncture), please do so at your earliest convenience.

In the meantime, however, I can impart details which are germane to the festivities. For the Friday night welcoming dinner, I'm planning for us to break bread at Mike Ditka's Restaurant on East Chestnut Street. I've personally reviewed the dinner menu and I'm confident in its quality of sustenance.

For out-of-towners, the choice of hotel is another matter entirely. I'm weighing our options with an eye on cost, location, and reputation. If we're squeezing four people (two beds) per room for Friday and Saturday night, we're looking at roughly $150 per person. I've checked with the Best Western Grant Park, the Marriott Renaissance, and the Inn of Chicago Magnificent Mile. If you have a recommendation or a unique strategy for our hotel choice, please let me know.

Of course, more details to follow as surely as sunlight overtakes candlelight each morning. I spoke to the bachelor himself today and he's encapsulated in wedding planning. We should all pity his lot in life until the bachelor weekend is upon us.

Until next time,

Matt Baker
Best Man, Cousin, American

On Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 11:26 AM, matt baker <matt@mattanddanielle.org> wrote:

Gentle Fellows,

Consider my plea. I write to you and your sensibility. We must acknowledge the degradation of a man. This a man we all encourage and respect. Yet, this is a man stuck in an incorrigible state. I cite for you Jeffrey Michael Long. A lamentable married man within six months' time. We must, as a point of paramount significance, acknowledge his fate with ritual madness.

The bacchanalia is imminent. Don your fox-skins. Restore your fervor. The locale is Chicago, Illinois. The Jeff Long Stag will commence Friday, June 12th, 2009 and will dismantle June 14th, 2009. As the witching hours draw nearer, I'll have more concrete details to share. 

The night of the 12th will be a righteous reunion for many. Dinner, drinks, stories, urban decor. On the 13th, we'll go to a Cubbies game at Wrigley Field with the Twin City sluggers in town. The night of the 13th we'll surround Coach Long with admiring and affectionate friends, and it'll be true that, on this exclusive occasion, he will regard the 13th as a hapless man's lucky day.

In the interest of preparation, please contact me shortly by email with your intended status. I will rely on your collective size to seek out hotel accommodations, restaurant venues, ticket options, and other items to propose a workable budget. However, I leave you to finalize your own travel arrangements to and from Chicago. With many guests arriving from out-of-state, we'll likely see a unique blend of planes, trains, and automobiles.

You should feel compelled to contact me with your suggestions, questions, and enthusiasm. Apart from email, my cell phone number is 650 861 0616.

Let us part briefly with a quote from the bachelor himself, "I've never had a bad time in the windy city." We have the power to make him omniscient.

Thank you for your time.

Matt Baker 

Best Man, Cousin, American

--
Location Signature

--
Location Signature
Sent from: San Francisco California United States.

--
Location Signature

Fwd: Jeff Long Bachelor Party June 12-14

Noblemen,

I write in haste to announce a decisive victory. I've reserved a location for our festive Friday night dinner, June 12th, at 9PM. The place is called Tango Sur and it's at 3763 North Southport Avenue. It's 20 minutes north from the hotel on the Red Line.

Here's why Tango Sur is our hand-picked choice of inception:

1. It's BYOB. That includes beer, wine, liquor, whatever. No corkage fee. Buy it cheap and bring it with you.
2. It's Argentinian.
3. They serve steaks.

Also, I should note that I spent some time with the bachelor a couple weeks ago. He's in a terrible state. I admit that. He's not doubled over in pain and bursting forth with predicaments, but he's possibly worse off. He's four months from walking the plank and he's transfixed by friend requests on Facebook. He's in total denial that his manhood is in peril. We may commence the bachelor party and the Tango Sur dinner with an intervention. Something along the lines of 'You do know what you're doing, don't you?' It's as if he's never spoken to a married man in his life.

Matt Baker
Best Man, Cousin, American

Re: Jeff Long Bachelor Party June 12-14

Men,

I haven't written you in a month, but I assure you I've been toiling over mountains of minutiae. I've broken down the weekend into 4 primary items: Hotel, Friday Night Dinner, Cubs Game, and Saturday Night Festivities. In today's installment, I have an update on the hotel.

I've reserved 4 rooms for June 12th and 13th at the SpringHill Suites Marriott Chicago Downtown/River North. The address is 410 North Dearborn Street. Each room can sleep up to 5 people (two double beds plus a sofabed) at a rate of ~$250 per night including taxes. Here's the cost breakdown per person depending on how many people we have in each room:

5 people in one room for 2 nights = $100 total per person including taxes
4 people in one room for 2 nights = $125 total per person including taxes
3 people in one room for 2 nights = $167 total per person including taxes

At the moment, I have the following 11 people in need of a hotel:
Jeff Long, Matt Baker, Wayne Beutler, Drew Patrick, Jeff Cumberworth, Doug Colling, John Bennink, Ryan Leach, Eric Vernon, Dan Dreyer, Ryan Kaul

Here's the list of folks who DO NOT need a hotel:
Steve Bradford, Dane Fife, Brad Clapper, Erich Poley

And, as a matter of diligence, there are 6 people who I haven't heard from yet and 3 people who aren't able to commit at this point but would like to remain on the email list. Thus, our hotel needs may range from 11 to 19 and general attendance may range from 15 to 24.

If we end up with 12 people for the hotel, we'll probably do 3 rooms with 4 people in each. Likewise, if we get a clean 15, we'll do 3 rooms with 5 in each. However, should we end up with a prime number or some scenario to that effect, I can weigh lowest average cost and take volunteers for a 3 person room.

Once I get a tighter lock on the guest list, I'll have update on Friday night's dinner, Cubs Game, and Saturday Night Festivities.

Here's what I ask from you:

1) If you haven't responded yet, please reply as soon as you can with your intent.
2) If you're on the hotel list but will not need a hotel, please reply to let me know I've been misinformed.

More details regarding the bachelor's deteriorating emotional state shortly.

Matt Baker
Best Man, Cousin, American

On Sun, Feb 8, 2009 at 3:36 PM, matt baker <matt@mattanddanielle.org> wrote:

Gents,

It's been a fortnight since I last wrote to you. Thank you for your replies and enthusiasm. I'm heartened by your candor. The reckoning is coming together nicely. Of note, and of particular importance to the event, I must tell you that I booked my flight from San Francisco to Chicago today. Unfortunately, I've a layover in Phoenix but I shall persevere nonetheless.

If you have not responded yet (we shall not name the lame at this juncture), please do so at your earliest convenience.

In the meantime, however, I can impart details which are germane to the festivities. For the Friday night welcoming dinner, I'm planning for us to break bread at Mike Ditka's Restaurant on East Chestnut Street. I've personally reviewed the dinner menu and I'm confident in its quality of sustenance.

For out-of-towners, the choice of hotel is another matter entirely. I'm weighing our options with an eye on cost, location, and reputation. If we're squeezing four people (two beds) per room for Friday and Saturday night, we're looking at roughly $150 per person. I've checked with the Best Western Grant Park, the Marriott Renaissance, and the Inn of Chicago Magnificent Mile. If you have a recommendation or a unique strategy for our hotel choice, please let me know.

Of course, more details to follow as surely as sunlight overtakes candlelight each morning. I spoke to the bachelor himself today and he's encapsulated in wedding planning. We should all pity his lot in life until the bachelor weekend is upon us.

Until next time,

Matt Baker
Best Man, Cousin, American

On Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 11:26 AM, matt baker <matt@mattanddanielle.org> wrote:

Gentle Fellows,

Consider my plea. I write to you and your sensibility. We must acknowledge the degradation of a man. This a man we all encourage and respect. Yet, this is a man stuck in an incorrigible state. I cite for you Jeffrey Michael Long. A lamentable married man within six months' time. We must, as a point of paramount significance, acknowledge his fate with ritual madness.

The bacchanalia is imminent. Don your fox-skins. Restore your fervor. The locale is Chicago, Illinois. The Jeff Long Stag will commence Friday, June 12th, 2009 and will dismantle June 14th, 2009. As the witching hours draw nearer, I'll have more concrete details to share. 

The night of the 12th will be a righteous reunion for many. Dinner, drinks, stories, urban decor. On the 13th, we'll go to a Cubbies game at Wrigley Field with the Twin City sluggers in town. The night of the 13th we'll surround Coach Long with admiring and affectionate friends, and it'll be true that, on this exclusive occasion, he will regard the 13th as a hapless man's lucky day.

In the interest of preparation, please contact me shortly by email with your intended status. I will rely on your collective size to seek out hotel accommodations, restaurant venues, ticket options, and other items to propose a workable budget. However, I leave you to finalize your own travel arrangements to and from Chicago. With many guests arriving from out-of-state, we'll likely see a unique blend of planes, trains, and automobiles.

You should feel compelled to contact me with your suggestions, questions, and enthusiasm. Apart from email, my cell phone number is 650 861 0616.

Let us part briefly with a quote from the bachelor himself, "I've never had a bad time in the windy city." We have the power to make him omniscient.

Thank you for your time.

Matt Baker 

Best Man, Cousin, American

--
Location Signature

Re: Jeff Long Bachelor Party June 12-14

Gents,

It's been a fortnight since I last wrote to you. Thank you for your replies and enthusiasm. I'm heartened by your candor. The reckoning is coming together nicely. Of note, and of particular importance to the event, I must tell you that I booked my flight from San Francisco to Chicago today. Unfortunately, I've a layover in Phoenix but I shall persevere nonetheless.

If you have not responded yet (we shall not name the lame at this juncture), please do so at your earliest convenience.

In the meantime, however, I can impart details which are germane to the festivities. For the Friday night welcoming dinner, I'm planning for us to break bread at Mike Ditka's Restaurant on East Chestnut Street. I've personally reviewed the dinner menu and I'm confident in its quality of sustenance.

For out-of-towners, the choice of hotel is another matter entirely. I'm weighing our options with an eye on cost, location, and reputation. If we're squeezing four people (two beds) per room for Friday and Saturday night, we're looking at roughly $150 per person. I've checked with the Best Western Grant Park, the Marriott Renaissance, and the Inn of Chicago Magnificent Mile. If you have a recommendation or a unique strategy for our hotel choice, please let me know.

Of course, more details to follow as surely as sunlight overtakes candlelight each morning. I spoke to the bachelor himself today and he's encapsulated in wedding planning. We should all pity his lot in life until the bachelor weekend is upon us.

Until next time,

Matt Baker
Best Man, Cousin, American

On Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 11:26 AM, matt baker <matt@mattanddanielle.org> wrote:

Gentle Fellows,

Consider my plea. I write to you and your sensibility. We must acknowledge the degradation of a man. This a man we all encourage and respect. Yet, this is a man stuck in an incorrigible state. I cite for you Jeffrey Michael Long. A lamentable married man within six months' time. We must, as a point of paramount significance, acknowledge his fate with ritual madness.

The bacchanalia is imminent. Don your fox-skins. Restore your fervor. The locale is Chicago, Illinois. The Jeff Long Stag will commence Friday, June 12th, 2009 and will dismantle June 14th, 2009. As the witching hours draw nearer, I'll have more concrete details to share. 

The night of the 12th will be a righteous reunion for many. Dinner, drinks, stories, urban decor. On the 13th, we'll go to a Cubbies game at Wrigley Field with the Twin City sluggers in town. The night of the 13th we'll surround Coach Long with admiring and affectionate friends, and it'll be true that, on this exclusive occasion, he will regard the 13th as a hapless man's lucky day.

In the interest of preparation, please contact me shortly by email with your intended status. I will rely on your collective size to seek out hotel accommodations, restaurant venues, ticket options, and other items to propose a workable budget. However, I leave you to finalize your own travel arrangements to and from Chicago. With many guests arriving from out-of-state, we'll likely see a unique blend of planes, trains, and automobiles.

You should feel compelled to contact me with your suggestions, questions, and enthusiasm. Apart from email, my cell phone number is 650 861 0616.

Let us part briefly with a quote from the bachelor himself, "I've never had a bad time in the windy city." We have the power to make him omniscient.

Thank you for your time.

Matt Baker 

Best Man, Cousin, American